NPH on ‘A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 3D’

Neil Patrick Harris on Harold and Kumar's musical number, the TV host who was almost his co-star and The Smurfs.

NPH is back in A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 3D. It wouldn’t be Harold and Kumar if they didn’t run into Neil Patrick Harris. This time they stumble upon his Christmas dance show, where backstage they find out his whole partnership with Andrew is a ruse to get more babes. When NPH himself did interviews for Harold and Kumar Christmas, we got to ask some questions about the NPH legend.

CraveOnline: In the second movie, it took place the next day so in 2004 you weren’t out yet. When this one came along, did you want it to address where you were in real life?

Neil Patrick Harris: Well, [writers] Jon [Hurwitz] and Hayden [Schlossburg] sat me down at a sushi dinner and said, “Here’s what our plans are for the third and what do you think of it?” They wanted to see if I was into the idea or not before they spent time writing it and then pitching later. I loved it. I was on board from the whole Christmas conceit. I thought that was the funniest idea ever. The idea of a Harold and Kumar Christmas movie just made me laugh. I think originally it was going to be myself paired with some other celebrity, as a Bing Crosbyish TV special with our eight kids, like a Branson, Misouri vibe. I think they had mentioned Kelly Ripa, that Kelly and I were doing it and then I tried to force myself onto her. But she was unavailable. She was filming their show in Prince Edward Island that time we were filming it so she couldn’t do it. They ended up just having it be crazy me myself.

Are you happy with how far the NPH legend has gone?

It makes me scratch my head. It’s funny. Yeah, I think it’s funny. I’m glad that I’m able to, while the NPH legend is carrying on, that I’m allowed to do other roles like Barney or some theater stuff or get to have people see me as myself as well, so it doesn’t seem like I’m trying to create some sort of façade. Does that make sense? I’m glad it’s a tangent and not the only way you’re seeing me, because then it might feel like I’m trying to overcompensate for something.

Isn’t that the ultimate goal, where any actor can play anything?

Sure, yeah. As actors you don’t want to have one label. You’d rather have seven.

Do you have goals as lofty as that?

No, I’ve been acting for quite a long time so I’ve sort of lost the drive to prove myself outside of what I do. I’d love to act in roles that I haven’t played before but I don’t feel like I need to reach some pinnacle goal. I’m very happy with how career stuff is going right now.

How long did it take to learn the dance choreography and how did it compare to your Broadway work, which I’m sure is more complex?

We did this in an afternoon in a recording studio and it was great fun. It’s really fun to do these things in a recording studio rather than having to do them live because you can embellish here and there and use funny weird references. You can riff if you want and see if that’s funny. We just angled towards what was funniest and cleanest.

Is it nice to have a kids movie like The Smurfs and this out in the same year?

Totally. I’m very keen on playing to specific and random demographics.